Side slip weft detector



Nov. 17, 1931. c. E. BROWN SIDE SLIP WEFT DETECTOR Filed Feb. 20, 1931 N w 5 m0 U I n T F N F 7 m ad mm m v lb 3 EhQHu mm m Q FIG 5 Patented Nov. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLYDE E. BROWN, or WORCESTER, MASsAcn sETTs, ASSIGNOR To CROMITON & KNOWLES LOOM worms, OF woEcEsTE A S CHUSETTS, A ooaronnrron OF MASSACHUSETTS SIDE sLIr wErT nETEoToE Application filed February .20, 1931. Serial No. 517,265.

This invention relates to improvements in side slipping weft detectors for weft replenishing looms and it is the general ob ect of the invention to provide a mechanism of this type which shall be particularly adapted for use with very fine yarns.

It is another object of the invention to provide a sliding carrier on which is pivotally mounted a forwardly yielding detector finger so disposed as to absorb practically all of the forward movement derived from the lay without appreciable movement on the part of the slide, said finger moving angularly with the pivoted part at indication. This feature of my invention contemplates the forward movement of the slide and parts supported thereby when an unusual obstruction is presented to the weft detector such for instance as a misplaced bobbin;

It is a specific object of my invention to provide the weft finger in the form of a relatively small wire bent back on itself to provide two parallel portions which slide through the pivoted arm and act to maintain the detector tip in correct horizontal position. The rounded forward end of the fine wire may also serve as a guide for a relatively heavy compression Spring against which the slide and detector parts yield when the previously referred to unusual obstruction is presented to the feeler tip.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the descriptionproceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my invention, parts being removed and other parts being shown in section for the Sake of clearness, the detector being shown in contact with a working supply of Weft.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but with the detector in contact with an insufficient supply of weft and shown in dotted lines in indicating position, 7

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the detector mechanism taken in the direction of arrow 3, Fig. 1, the stand being in section,

Fig. 1 is a view similar to a portion of Fig. 1 butshowing a modified form of finger, and A Fig. 5 is a vertical detailed section on an enlarged scale through line 55 of Fig. 1.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3 wherein the preferred form of the invention is set forth, I show a stand 10 having a pair of upstanding horns 11 between which an actuator lever reciprocates vertically. A controller 13 is pivoted as atl l to the stand and has a trip 15 normally. outof vertical alignment with the lever 12. i I

The detector comprises a bed 16 and a cap 17 between which is'slidably mounted a car rier 18 upturned asat 19 at the forward end thereof. A portion of the transferrer mechanism 20. engages said upturned end to move the carrier forwardly on transferring beats of the loom. A bolt'21may be used to secure the bed and cap to the stand 10 and passes through a slot 22 which permits adjustment of the detector as a unit toward and from the surface being detected. A detector arm 23 is, pivoted as at 24 to the slide and has a forwardly extending tail 25 positioned to engage a stop 26 on the slide and also positioned to move the trip 15 under the actuator lever 12 at the time of indication of weft exhaustion. A compression spring 27 lies between the bed and cap and exerts its rearward force on the detector arm so as to hold the latter and also the slide in the normal rearward position shown in Fig. 1.

It is to be understood that at the time of weft indication the tail 25 moves so as to cause interruption in the downward movement of the actuator lever 12. The matter thusfar described forms no part of my pres ent invention, the detector parts thus far set forth being of the well-known type of side slip feeler and the actuator 12 being substantially the same as thatset forth in prior Patent No. 1,030,748. t

In carrying my present invention into effect I provide a relatively large and preferably molded feeler tip 30 having a series of weft engaging teeth 31 on the rear side thereof. This type is preferably cast on a wire 32 which has the forward end thereof bent in the form of a U so that two parallel portions 33 and 34 can slide through correspondingly spaced parallel holes 35 drilled in the preferred form of the invention diagonally through a portion of the detector finger as shown in Fig. 1 and in the modified form in a direction parallel to the slide. In both forms of the invention a very light compression spring 36 is interposed between the detector arm and the tip and this spring is ordinarily much weaker than the spring 27 so that the latter is not compressed when the feeler tip is moved forwardly by a working supply of weft.

In operation, so long as suflicient weft for continued weaving is present, the feeler finger which comprises the tip and wire moves forwardly against the action of the light spring 36, the heavier spring remaining in its normal maximum expanded condition so that the slide 18 and the detector finger 25 remain at rest. The lever 12 may therefore descend without interruption to permit continued operation of the loom. When insufficient weft is present the detector moves from the full to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2, thereby subjecting spring 27 to a slight compression and rocking the detector arm 23 to the dotted line position,

thereby moving the trip 15 under the actua-,

tor lever 12 to effect a change in the operation of the loom. The angle at which the inclined part of the wire 32 is disposed with respectto the line of action of spring 27 is such. that force transmitted along the inclined direction coupled with the resistance offered by the light spring is suffieient to overpower the spring 27.

An inspection of Figs. 1 and 2 will show that the forward end of the U-shaped part of the wire 32 extends into the rearmost coils of the spring 27 to position the latter. This bent end moves substantially along the axis of the heavy spring without being restrained as to movement by said heavy spring.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a feeler capable of operating with very fine weft threads, the spring 36 being compressed so long as a working supply of weft is present, and the tip sliding along an exhausted bobbin so as to give indication in the usual manner. Furthermore, it will be seen that the two parallel parts of the wire 32 serve to establish a horizontal plane in which the feeler tip is always disposed. Also, the bent forward end of the wire passes through the rearmost coils of the heavy spring so as not to be effected by the latter, but said bent end is positioned to guide the heavier spring when the device is being assembled. In the preferred form the parallel parts of the wire are themselves weaves parallel to the angle of inclination, whereas in the modified form the parallel parts e tend in the same general direction as that in which the slide moves. A considerable amount of displacement can take place with no chance for the rounded part of the wire to come in contact with any of the coils of the spring 27.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those ski; d in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a weft detecting mechanism, a fixed support, a slide movable back and forth in said support, a detector arm pivoted to the slide, a coiled'spring acting on the detector arm holding the latter and the slide normally in rear position, and a detector linger slidably mounted on the arm, said linger comprising a relatively large weft tip from which extends forwardly a wire bent on itself to have a rounded forward end projecting into the spring and through the arm, said finger also having light compression spring acting against the detector arm to hold the tip rearwardly.

2. In a weft detecting mechanism, a fixed support, a slide movable back and forth in said support, a detector arm pivoted to the slide, a spring acting on the detector arm holding the latter and the slide normally in rear position, and a detector finger slidably I mounted on the arm, the finger comprising a U-shaped wire having its rounded end extending forwardly and through and sliding with respect to the detector arm, a feeler tip carried by the wire, and resilient means acting on the arm to hold the tip and wire in normal rearward position, the resilient means being compressed during normal operation of the feeler and the said spring under these conditions holding the slide and arm against movement by the resilient means.

3. In a weft detecting mechanism, a fixed support, a slide movable back and forth in said support, a detector arm pivoted to the slide, a spring acting 011 the detector arm holding the latter and the slide normally in rear position, and a detector finger slidably mounted on the arm, said finger comprising a wire having parallel portions slidably extended through the detector arm and having their forward ends fastened together, a feeler tip carried by the wire and held normally in horizontal position by engagement of the two parts of the wire with the arm, and a light resilient means interposed between the tip and arm, said resilient means being compressed under normal detecting opera tions without compressing the spring, the latter being compressed on indicating beats of the loom as the tip slides along an exhausted bobbin to move the detector arm angularly with respect to the slide.

4:. In a weft detecting mechanism, a fixed support, a slide movable back and forth in said support, a detector arm pivoted to the slide, a coiled spring acting on the detector arm holding the latter and the slide normally in rear position, and a detector finger slidably mounted on the arm, said finger comprising a part movable forwardly through the rear coils of the spring, a feeler tip on said part, and yielding means holding the tip in rearward position.

5. In a weft detecting mechanism, a fixed support, a slide movable back and forth in said support, a detector arm pivoted to the slide, a coiled spring acting on the detector arm holding the latter and the slide normally in rear position, and a detector finger slidably mounted on the arm, said finger com,-

prising a part movable forwardly through the rear coils of the spring, a feeler tip on said part, and yielding means holding the tip s in rearward position, said part which exten into the coils of the spring serving to position the latter.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto af fixed my signature.

CLYDE E. BROWN. 

